Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Or That's Not What Shouts Are For!)
by TheEndsongAbyssXV
Summary: "Life can be boring, difficult and tedious. Life can be exhilarating, dangerous and terrifying. Or it could be all of the above. It depends on who you make the journey with and where you go. Let me tell you about the adventures I went on with the Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn. Let me tell you about how I met your mother." (Marcurio/F!DB) (RATING WILL GO UP AS STORY PROGRESSES) (R&R!)
1. Chapter 1

"You should have acted. They are already here. The Elder Scrolls told of their return. Their defeat was merely delay, until the time after Oblivion opened, when the sons of Skyrim would spill their own blood. But no one wanted to believe, believe they even exist. And when the truth finally dawned, it dawned in fire. But…there is one they fear. In their tongue, he is Dovakiin: Dragonborn!"

…

"Life can be boring, difficult and tedious. Life can be exhilarating, dangerous and terrifying. Or it could be all of the above. It depends on who you make the journey with and where you go. Let me tell you about the adventures I went on with the Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn. Let me tell you about how I met the savior of Skyrim, your mother." (Eventual Marcurio/F!DB)

…

The air was thick with ash, and the wind was hot. The fluffy gray stuff covered the ground like a blanket; inches thick here, a few feet there, no matter where you looked, it was all over the place, and it was getting worse. The city was not much father away, and had to get there before nightfall. Seven or eight miles wasn't too bad, right?

Cliff racers soared overhead, and in the distance, the dim blue glow of a betty netch could be seen against the dusty air. Since Red Mountain had erupted, Morrowind had changed. The Grazelands were no longer full of lush green fields and crystal rivers, the Ascadian Isles had dried up and were as ruined and bleak as Foyada Mamaea.

The wastelands in the northern part of Vvardenfell were the same, dark, dry and full of monsters. The lava veins around Red Mountain were unchanged, full of high rocky cliff faces and cave systems. The interior of the crater was full of ruined Citadels from Dagoth Ur's reign from two-hundred years ago. The enchanted fence that once surrounded the volcano was broken, large cracks running through the hard glass, and holes in some places were blight-infected beasts had broken through.

The wind picked up, stinging any skin it came and contact with, and with a curse and a burst of speed, the adventurer was able to duck out from behind a dead silt strider and ran towards the cliffs, eyes locked onto the half broken door built into the side. An abandoned mine, judging from the map, but monsters were better than running the risk of suffocating on ash or falling into one of the lava streams. With a roar of wind, the ash had formed a twister, which split in two, and gathered speed, one headed towards the foyada, the other straight towards Ghostgate.

_There is no way I am making it to Ald'Ruhn tonight. Hopefully tomorrow the skies will be clear. I can make it to Vivec by Sundas if I leave as soon as the ash storm lets up._

"Okay, Tédien, you can do this-!" With a mighty leap, hands grappled for purchase on the rocks and a vulgar curse left her mouth. She pulled herself up, a twinge of pain throbbing in her ankle as she stood and ran along the cliff edge towards the door a few meters ahead. The wind was so strong it made her wobble, and Tédien ducked into the rocks and used every ounce of power in her body to get across the small gap in the cliff to get to the door.

As her body slammed painfully into the sharp ground, she swore, "I completely misjudged the height of that jump…" The door was two feet above her, but her ankle was hurting something fierce, and the she was almost blind from the ash. It clung to her armor, her skin, it coated her mouth. She hiked her satchel higher up on her back and dug her steel-covered boot into a small crack in the wall, pulling herself up towards the little rocky platform and grabbing onto the door handle like it would help her.

With a surge of annoyance, Tédien pulled herself up and dipped into the mine with a sigh of relief. The door was off its hinges, but she was able to prop it up and hold it in place with heavy rocks so it wouldn't collapse and let the ash in.

The air was chilly, and sweat bloomed onto her skin as she sat down on the hard dirt floor. It had been a mine at once point, the bowels of which had been a Sixth House base, in honor of Dagoth Ur. She tried to remember the stories her grandparents had told her of Morrowind, when Vvardenfell had been in its prime.

She was exhausted, hungry and filthy, but figured exploring a little would be a good thing. Then she could find somewhere to rest. Tédien rolled her ankle, luckily it wasn't swollen or broken, though it was tender to walk on. Wind howled outside, and the door shook as one of the miniature tornadoes came closer. Tédien walked down the path, looking at the broken lanterns that hung along the ceiling, some newer, but all older than her twenty-three years.

Broken crates and barrels littered the mine, along with old rusted wagons, some still holding chunks of ore. Tédien gave a gasp of delight at the small dirty sack hidden partially beneath a clump of ebony; it was a coin purse. Heavy, and hopefully with enough money to keep her fed for a few days. Maybe she could even splurge and stay at an inn. Not one of the lavish one where the pillows and blankets are filled with feathers like in Cyrodiil, a simple hole-in-the-wall would work.. She hadn't slept on a bed in over three months with all the traveling she'd been doing. But she was on a mission, she had something important to do. And only a short time to do it.

Tédien walked farther down, careful not to hit her head on sharp, low hanging rocks and broken shafts. Empty bottles and food containers were littered here and there, leaving no doubt the place had been used before, either by bandits or someone like herself who simply needed a safe place to spend the night or escape the weather. It was so dark though, and Tédien didn't want to draw attention to herself by using magic, just in case someone or something unfriendly hid within the mine.

She kept going, walking through the cave. There were only two tunnels, and she had explored the left one, which came to a dead end full of bones and animal scraps. There had been mining equipment too, broken and rusted from years of disuse. The air was heavy with the scent of earth, moist and warm, and Tédien sighed, wiping sweat from her face. It wasn't as bad as outside, but she _hated _heat.

There was a crunching sound, and Tédien abruptly froze, hand going for her dagger. She preferred to avoid conflict if she could, but if she was jumped by bandits, she might not have a choice. Suddenly, she could hear voices, and she frowned.

"An' so I said to 'er, 'bitch, I ain't got no more gold!' And she starts throwin' a fit!"

"What did you do?"

There was a deep laugh, "I put the whore in her place. Taught her how a woman should act with her man." there was another laugh, and a half-hearted moan. "Had a nice little make up session after that."

Tédien frowned. Two thugs. And one was an Orc, she could tell by the accent. The other was definitely a human man, not of the Mer species, but until she saw his face, she couldn't tell. _I need to get out of here._ Spinning on her heel, she turned to walk back up the path she'd come from, but a nervous jitter went through her and she stumbled, knocking into a cluster of brooms and fishing poles that had been standing against the wall. They fell, and within the silence of the cave, crashed like thunder.

"What was that?"

"Over there!"

Tédien reached for the wooden rafters above her head; maybe if she his above them in the dark, they'd leave and she could escape!

A gasp left her mouth as something latched onto her bruised ankle just as she started to pull herself up, and on instinct she slammed her other, steel covered foot down _hard_, into the face of the Orc who'd grabbed her. His grip loosened, and she scrambled away, kicking up dirt as she ran. Pain lanced through her ankle and foot, but she ran harder, stopping only when an arrow landed a few feet ahead of her. These bastards were serious!

_Vivec, give me strength!_ Tédien dipped into a small alcove to her left, dagger drawn, crouching low. Footsteps met her ears and as one of her assailants charged past, she swung the blade, the tip slicing into the heel, and the man swore as he stumbled, andTedien chose that moment to kick him in the face, hard enough to knock him out, but the Orc had gone berserk and was thrashing around, axe held high.

Blessing the Nine for making her a bard, Tédien pulled two scrolls from her bag and unleashed their fury, the Storm Atronachs roaring as they charged the Orc. She didn't wait to see how the battle ended, and took off back to towards the entrance, but the boom of thunder and angry cries made her stop. Had her conjurations been beaten? She was too exhausted to fight, didn't want to. She would, but she had something to do-!

"Oh, great."

One of the atronachs blundered up the path, crackling with electricity. It stood there for a few seconds before dissolving. She had to make sure, though, and ran off towards the room the bandits had been in, stopping as she saw the sizzling remains of the Orc, and the unconscious form of the, yep it was an Imperial, like her. Well, half of her. Her mother had been a Nord, her father an Imperial.

She mumbled to herself as the steps suddenly dropped down, her heart racing as she missed two of them. She stopped and sat down, exhaustion getting the better of her. She listened to the wind, the creak of the wooden door, the soft tinkle of water from below-

"Water?" She surged up, thirst gripping her like a vice, and she ran down the corridor, careful not to make too much noise in case someone or something had also sought shelter in the cave. Bones from scavengers were littered everywhere. Rats, a human skull, the horns of a Nix-Hound. But the water was louder now, and Tédien was like a bee who had sensed honey, speed walking through the darkness.

"Ah-_ha_!" There it was, nestled in the corner. According to her books, the foyada had lots of hidden caches where vegetation grew, and though she didn't see any grass or plants, she had a small reservoir of water. It ran down the wall and dripped off of the smoother rocks, into a crevice in the ground. It was probably full of contaminates, but a good boiling would remedy that, and if she did get sick, Tédien was well equipped with potions.

Pulling out her dagger, she used its light enchantment to create a dim glow for her to see.

Gathering three bottles of water, Tédien stripped, dropping her dirt-crusted chitin armor to the ground and pulling out a bar of sload soap she'd found in an old shack in Gnisis a few days ago. It smelled of jasmine, and she inhaled its perfume before dousing herself in the surprisingly cold water. But given how hot it had been outside, she welcomed the chill, washing the remains of blood and dirt from her skin. It stung at the small cuts, but at least she'd be clean; she never knew how long it would be until she'd bathe again, and though she tried to be as clean as possible, Tédien couldn't help it if she were attacked and got covered in blood, of slipped and fell into the dirt.

She pulled her hair from its bun, allowing the red-brown layers to fall to her shoulders. She soaked her scalp, digging her short blunt nails in and cleaning vigorously. She wasn't a neat freak by any means, but when she needed to be cleaned, she made sure not a single particle of filth touched her. She caught her reflection in the water from her blade, and she sighed.

_That damn Scamp got me good._ She eyed the claw mark across the left side of her face. It would scar for sure. Three gashes from above her ear to the corner of her mouth. The little bastard had surprised her while she was exploring an old Daedric ruin near Gnisis, jumping from above and landing on her shoulder, raking its claws over her armor and skin. She'd lit it on fire, and it had run off.

Only to return a day later, following her around.

Tédien looked over to the corner, where the small creature stood, hunched and swaying slightly. It hadn't left her alone. He was smaller than other Scamps, a runt, probably a few months old, and big enough to fit inside one of her satchels, and probably had been abandoned. But Tédien didn't have the heart to kill it, and figured it would leave after a while.

Nope.

"Oi, Scamp."

"Haaaa?" the creature swung towards her a little, babbling. "Breflik?"

Tédien rolled her eyes. She hadn't named the creature, hadn't wanted to, but now that it was her forced companion (she'd tried leaving it in a field once, but it had followed her by scent and tracked her two miles away), she felt he needed a name.

_I am eighty percent sure it's male, but…_ Sometimes you just can't tell!

She finished rising the soap from her hair and body, grabbing a soft clean robe from her satchel and wrapping the dark blue fabric around her body. Her brown eyes tracked the scamp as it snuck around the small room, digging into the dirt and pulling grubs into its greedy little mouth.

Tédien threw her armor into the small pool of water, letting it soak, and hoping she could clean it later on. She dug into her bag again, pulling out two shiny red apples, one of which she bit into with a loud crack, the juice dripping off of her hand and rolling down to her elbow.

"Breflik?" the scamp had wandered over to her and began sniffing at her food. Tédien pulled away, frowning.

"No."

"Hawoo!"

Tédien continued to eat her apples, watching as the scamp walked around, digging or yelling at some unseen force in whatever language it was speaking.

"Breflik!" it screeched. "Habawwwga!"

"Is that your name?" Tédien tossed the two cores at it. "Or just a word you know in whatever language you're speaking?"

The scamp turned to face her, head cocked. She called it again, and it responded, creeping towards her in a savage manner but abruptly rubbed its head against her arm affectionately, making strange little noises. The scamp began to creep again, ignoring her and looking for helpless insects to devour. Tédien watched him for a bit, before relaxing against the wooden planks against the wall.

_I'll journey to Ald'Ruhn as soon as I wake up, and then I'll head to Vivec…take a ship to Gnaar Mok…go to…Hammerfell from there…_She yawned, closing her eyes and allowing the sweet inky void of sleep to claim her.


	2. Chapter 2

_The air was hot, dry, and the heat swarmed her from all sides. Cursing and cries of pain could be heard in the distance; a man hollering for people to aid him, a woman calling out for help. _

_"My children!" she screamed. "They're trapped!" _

_"Mama!" Tédien answered, but the smoke made her cough, and her eyes watered and stung. Arms wrapped around her and lifted her tiny body up towards the stairs, and Tédien screamed as a burning plank fell from the rafters above her head and slammed down not a foot away from her. Their home was a general good store, with three levels; basement and storage which had a cellar door that opened outside, the first/main floor that was the shop itself, and then the top floor which held the kitchen, bedrooms and bath._

_All of which was on fire. _

_"Go through the roof and run," her brother ordered, and Tédien whimpered, fear swamping the ten-year-old. "It's okay, I'll be right there,"_

_Oh, but Tédien didn't want to be alone. There were bandits outside, and the fuckers were having a party, throwing empty ale bottles at people and brandishing whatever weapons they had. Two women had been taken already, and one man had been killed, and Tédien, child she may be, knew what it would mean for her to go outside alone._

_"But Mama and Papa-" her voice cracked as she coughed, and her brother gave her a kiss on the forehead, pushing her farther up and towards the balcony. _

_"Just run, lass!" another voice yelled, and Tédien watched as her father swung his enchanted saber at the door, cutting down the planks so she could get out. "And you go too, boy!" _

_Tédien gasped as her brother lifted her into his arms and shoved her up the stairs, watching as her parents scrambled to keep the bandits out of the shop. _

…

Tédien woke to the feeling of small hands on her leg, and she shifted her body to kick out when she dimly remembered she wasn't alone. Her eyes shot open as the baby scamp prodded her body, its breathy gasps reaching her ears. Instantly she was awake, alert. Normally the scamp was quiet, curled up in her knapsack and waiting for her to wake up, because it was nocturnal and was up all night.

Not this time.

It was scratching at her now in earnest, and Tédien frowned, sitting up and allowing the baby scamp to climb up her body and onto her shoulder, where it dug its small hands into her hair and scalp. Not to hurt, but to hold on. She quickly gathered her belongings, and snatched her armor (which she'd left out to dry) up and quickly snapped the Netch leather in place, sheathing her Daedric dagger in its holster, and drawing her satchel on her back.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, and the scamp growled, tail swishing and it looked left, staring at some unseen force. It smelled or heard something Tédien couldn't, and that's when she remembered: the bandit. She hadn't killed one of them, simply knocked him out, and now he was up and walking around, which meant he would no doubt come across the remains of his friend.

She saw the glow of a torch to the side, and she stared at the flames, until the scamp hissed and dug its nails into her head with a _hi-how-are-ya_? She snapped to reality and took off then, bare feet moving silently over dirt and rocks, and she clutched the baby scamp like a child, close to her chest, and blocking it from view. Thunder roared in the distance and Tédien almost swore out loud. First it was ash storms, now it was rain. Morrowind was a cesspool of weather and disease, and she wanted out. But first, she had to get out of the abandoned mine without dying.

The scamp snarled abruptly and Tédien barely had time to react as a wooden club with nails in it swung at her head. She dropped down low, her preservation instincts taking over and she swung a leg out, clipping the man off balance so he landed on his ass. But it lasted only a moment and he was up, swinging at Tédien like he was trying to knock her head off her shoulders, which in fact, he was.

The scamp got ghost then, scrambling up the rocky wall and hiding in a small crevice. The thing was small, about the size of a newborn baby, maybe an inch to two larger, much smaller than the average newborn scamp, and it concealed itself completely, which was good, because Tédien was about to put the whammy on the bandit bastard and didn't want the scamp hurt.

As the bandit cursed at her, Tédien swung out another leg towards his crotch and his face went all _oh-no-you-don't!_ and he evaded the attack, which caused Tédien to slip onto her back, and like she knew he would, the bandit was on her, sitting on her hips and hands going around her throat, but just as fast, her hands circled his wrists, electricity dancing between her fingers and arcing up his arms and no doubt into his body. The man groaned and rolled off of her, twitching but still very much alive. She scrambled to get up but his hand closed around her wrist and yanked her down, her jaw clamping together and stars bursting in front of eyes and her tongue and teeth met.

The bandit clambered over her, heading towards where the scamp was, shrieking from the higher rocks on the cliff wall. He swung his club, but missed, and Tédien stood, swallowing a mouthful of blood, unsheathing her dagger and driving it home into the back of the Imperial's thigh. The artery was severed and dark blood dribbled from the wound at an alarming speed, during which the man fumbled and moaned, trying to plug the injury with his fingers and only making it worse, blood arcing out onto the rocks.

Tédien reached for the scamp, who all but flew into her arms, resuming its perch on her shoulder and neck before she booked it, just in case there were more ruffians she didn't see last night and may come after them.

Luckily, she'd be long gone.

Her amulet of Almsivi began glowing, and the moment she breached the door, her molecules scattered and took form in the courtyard of the Tribunal temple in Tel Branora.

…

Tédien hit the ground and the landing made her stumble. Her heart was pounding, and her neck was sore; no doubt she'd have bruises later. The scamp was crawling up her body again and onto her shoulder, where it made cute little noises and sniffed the air. A cliff racer (Tédien glared at the thing) was flying overhead, but didn't seem too interested in them, and she was grateful because she had to get inside and lay down before she passed out. Hear head was swimming from hitting the floor, and her jaw was aching something fierce.

The ruins of Tel Branora, an old Telvanni tower, was still in pretty decent shape, the lower tower barricaded with Daedric walls and sharp tree stalks. The upper tower had been completely repaired, and as Tédien took a gulp of her levitation potion and headed up to the door (wizards didn't use stairs in Morrowind), she caught sight of Draven, a Dunmer mage she'd met in Vivec two years ago. He held open the door, and a dark haired brunet made an appearance, and Tédien smiled at the twin Breton archers who had claimed the tower and offered it as a safe haven for anyone who needed it.

"How are things?" Tédien asked, touching down, smiling as Draven frowned at the scamp.

"All is well," his gravelly voice was softer than usual, and Tédien caught sight of the other inhabitants, an Almer female and her young son, three Orcs who had been found dying along side the road near Ald'Ruhn and had been rescued by Ti'ij, the Khajiit healer that Tédien knew through Draven. Everyone had their own reason for being here in the middle of nowhere, but mostly because it was safe, compared to how life would be if they were back home.

"I come bearing gifts," Tédien said, pulling out her satchel. Gra-Shobal, the female Orc, smiled as she was handed a stack of books about weaponry, and Ti'ij was gleeful over medicinal supplies he was given.

"You're filthy," Soren, the darker haired Breton said with a grin, pointing out the dirt, sweat and blood on her clothes and skin. His brother, Saedrik, was quiet as he examined the scamp, which Draven was still glaring at.

"Tédien," the Dunmer turned to her, stroking his beard and leaning against the doorframe to the tower's barracks. "Care to explain the Daedra?"

Tédien collapsed into one of the hammocks and closed her eyes, explaining that the thing was harmless and thought of her as its mother. She faked a yawn, and Draven excused himself as the creature in question curled up against Tédien's chest. She wasn't tired, she was energized, and as she ran her hands through her mahogany colored hair, she dimly wondered what would have happened if she hadn't got out of the cave and the bandit had caught her.

_My mission would be incredibly more difficult than it already is._

...

Several hours later, into the night, Tymaen, the young high-elf boy, was stroking the fire in the corner, and Tédien watched wearily. The kid had no idea what he was doing and Tédien knew it was only a matter of time before he hurt himself or someone else. Luckily his mother (an ex-highborn Telvanni assassin) put the kibosh on the kids' weak attempt at magic and the boy sulked as Draven put out the fire altogether.

"So," his voice was soft, rough, and Tédien knew what was coming, so she turned her eyes to her friend. "Did you accomplish your mission?"

"I'm not going to be able to get to Hammerfell from here," she replied. "I'll have to cut through Black Light, to Skyrim and then go from there."

Draven watched the young half-breed (which is what anyone with mixed blood was called) for a while as she studied her hands, lips moving silently in what was no doubt a well rehearsed plan to get to Hammerfell.

"Isn't your brother in Skyrim?" he asked, and Tédien nodded, saying he was, but she didn't know where. Abruptly her emotional grid changed, and the Dunmer mage sifted through her mind with his telepathic gifts. Not too deep, just enough to see what had caused the wave of sadness in the woman. Her parents were long gone, having perished in a house fire more than a decade ago, when Tédien was just a child, but she and her brother had escaped. The last time she'd seen or heard from him was nearly four years ago, and Tédien had come to accept the fact that her sibling may also be dead, but there was a small glimmer of hope that she wasn't alone in the world.

"In any case, get some rest. If you plan on leaving tomorrow or the next day, you surely will need a good night's sleep." Tédien mumbled something incoherent, and Draven took his leave, ushering Tymaen out as well so as not to further disturb her.

_Damn it all!_ she cursed, feeling a surge of anger. Why was the responsibility thrown on her? Why did _she_ have to be the one to travel from place to place to deliver the package?

Tédien dug through her knapsack, pulling out a thick bundle that shimmered slightly. Enchanted to ward off those who would open it. Only the intended recipient could loosen the strings that held the iron mesh sack.

Not that she tried to, nope. Not once.

With a sigh of mingled frustration and exhaustion, Tédien closed her eyes, listening as her scamp prowled around the room and chattered to itself.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in nearly six years, Tédien dreamt of her family: her mother, her father, her brother, and their home. They were happy and healthy, her father working the shop, selling anything and everything, her mother tending the garden out back while her brother traipsed around town looking for odd jobs for extra coin.

And her? Tédien went exploring in the forest behind the village like always.

_She crept behind her brother, trying her best to not be seen, and whether or not he actually could didn't matter, because he always acted like he couldn't. Mostly to boost her ego, and mostly because Tédien would run off after assuring herself that her brother wouldn't tattle on her for sneaking away. As long as she was at the house by supper, she was free to do as she wanted. She liked helping in the shop, but sometimes one had to go on an adventure! _

_Because her family traveled a lot for work, much like the Khajiit caravans, they were never in one place for too long, but had settles in a small area on Vvardenfell, one of the few untouched areas caused by the Red Mountain eruption, called Vos. It was right on the coast, and if the sun was bright enough, and there were no clouds or fog, you could see across the inlet towards Sadrith Mora, the Telvanni capital of Morrowind. _

_Good thing Tédien could swim. _

_Once she was on the outskirts of the village, she kept an eye out for anyone who would see her leave. Sadrith Mora was a battleground of mages and wizards alike, vying for the large city, and control of the realm in general. But those things didn't click in the mind of the seven-year-old, and she skipped merrily to the water's edge and stared out at the cargo ships rolling by the ocean. Tédien knew about the trading industry, from her father, and that most of the ships went to three places: Black Light, at the northern most tip of Morrowind, right next to Skyrim. There was also Raven Rock, a place her grandfather ranted about from his youth, that was on the island of Solstheim, a large Nord inhabited place that had once been "a winter wonderland" as her grandmother called it, but was now covered with ash. Then there was Senchal, the southern port in Elsweyr. Tédien liked Elsweyr, because the Khajiit's were friendly, and made really pretty clothes and fun toys. She'd been to all of these places with her family through her life, though she didn't remember too much because she'd been younger. But she definitely remembered the toys. _

_The canal was wide; so wide you could barely see Sadrith Mora on the other side. There were rocky cliffs separating the two islands, but Tédien knew which way to go in order to reach the small sound that reached the Telvanni city. There was a worn path, from the adventurers or pilgrims who made their way through the grasslands. _

_She'd memorized them all. _

_The quickest way to the coast was across the large field and through an old abandoned Daedric ruin that many of Vos and Tel Vos's youth would use as a hang-out spot. _

_Not that Tédien had followed her brother there, oh no. _

_Okay, there was that _one_ time she'd caught him with a girl and wanted to see where they'd go, but then she'd seen the ships and gotten distracted. _

_The field was flat and open, so she could still see the village from where she walked, but after the ruin, the plain dipped into a slope that went all the way down to the beach. _

_So Tédien ran off, her brown hair flying behind her, her small coin purse dangling at her hips from the strap that went diagonally across her body. The red and black spires of the Daedric ruin loomed above her, but she wasn't scared. It was empty on the outside, littered with only paper and empty bottles, a small chest with food crumbs here and there. But no monsters, no people. No, they didn't appear until night time. _

_With a laugh, she dropped to her bottom and rolled through the slick grass alllllllllll the way down the slope, until she stopped at the sandbar. Then, dusting off her rump and knees, she jogged over to the edge of the blue water. She was tired from all the walking, and it was getting hot, the noonday sun beating down on her exposed neck and shoulders, the loose tunic (which she'd taken from her brother's room) falling to her thighs and dropping over the edge of her shoulders. _

_Man, that ocean looked tempting. The inlet narrowed here, and she could see Sadrith Mora plain as day right across the sound. _

_She grinned, taking off her shoes and diving into the water before she was noticed. She struggled at first, because the docked ship across the way were rocking slightly, and the small waves they made hit her tiny body and made her sink a bit, but soon Tédien found her rhythm and swam across the inlet, kicking her feet and pin-wheeling her arms like her father had taught her. She swam as far as she could before exhaustion set in, her tiny lunges dragging in much needed air. She quickly dug into her pocket for the tiny water-walking potion she'd nabbed from the shop, and downed the bitter liquid in two gulps. _

_Instantly she was all fours on the water's glassy surface and she took off running, her trousers and tunic flapping in the wind. As she looked down, she caught sight of slaughterfish guarding their eggs, and the occasional bird flying above her head. _

_It took her almost ten minutes to make it to the other side, but by the time she had walked all the way from the docks to the steps leading to The Gateway Inn, her thin, rough spun tunic was dry, and her hair (which she'd coiled on top of her head under a hat) had stopped dripping down her neck. But the noon day sun beat down on the exposed skin of her shoulders and back of her neck. She planned to go through the Inn to get into the city, but a commotion to her left, along the rocky hill leading towards the cargo ship Elk-Skirring, caught her attention instead. _

_People were shouting, cheering, and Tédien was confused by the odd roar she heard. Like any seven-year-old, she went to see what was going on, and as soon as she reached the lip of the rock cluster, her eyes flared in awe. _

_A Dunmer man, surrounded by about ten people, was dueling another man, who had summoned some sort of reptilian monster and was aiming spells at everyone and cursing the Telvanni. wizard. Tédien squeezed into the throng of onlookers, amazed at the colorful lights coming from both men. _

_"He may be bastard," an Imperial soldier said to a Redguard man, "But Master Neloth knows his stuff." There were murmurs of agreement from everyone, and Tédien's eyes lit up as a flash of bright fire shot out of Neloth's staff and hit the small scaly Clannfear dead on, its conjurer howling in rage before he too absorbed the flames' impact and collapsed, robes smoking and flesh melting. _

_Abruptly the crowd parted and Neloth strode off towards Tel Naga, the wizard tower in the center of the city, cursing in Dunmeri and frowning at his staff like it had malfunctioned or something. The staff was black with a large circle on top, small spikes on the outside, with a prismatic sheen to it, and on top, inside in the circle, was a shimmering red crystal unlike anything she'd ever seen. It was so pretty-_

Tédien shot upright like she'd been bootlicked in the ass, all but flying off of her bed, dagger in hand, heart pounding almost as loud as the thunder that boomed outside. She cursed, thinking that the banginh she'd heard was someone breaking down the door, but nooo, it was the weather, and she jumped like an acrobat.

From. Thun. Der.

Like it was after her or some shit.

_You really need a break, Tédien,_ she thought, sheathing her blade and sitting back down. it was then she noticed her scamp was on the floor, looking petrified, and she frowned. She probably had thrown the poor thing as she lunged off her bed. "Come here, little one," she cooed, and the scamp crawled to her, its small breathy hisses short and loud. It grabbed her chest and sat up, claws digging into her hair and its nose pressing against hers like it was annoyed with her.

"Kabaaa!" it yelled, which could have been anything from _Mommy! _to _you bitch!_, but she assumed it was nicer because the thing shimmied onto her head and curled like a kitten. She really wanted to teach it to speak, because it would be nice to have someone to talk to while she was out adventuring.

As she lay back down, she focused on the rain, the tap tap of water against the wood and ebony tower, allowing it to lull her back to a dreamless sleep.

…

It was still dark, the sky full of clouds that were heavy with rain, and oh, sweet Azura, it was _humid_! Draven cursed as he stepped out of the tower. The moat surrounding Tel Branora had risen by nearly a foot, and was murky with soil instead of its usual crystal clear appearance. The Dunmer stared out at the horizon, watching as, just as the notice said, a ship was coming to retrieve them all.

The tower wasn't safe anymore, and they all had agreed that, once Tédien had returned from Gnisis, they would make the trek out of Vvardenfell. They had also made plans to go their separate ways after this, at least until they met up by some chance in the future. Everyone was going home for the first time in a long time, years for himself, and even for Tédien.

Who decided that was a good time to materialize the fuck out of nowhere and scare the hell out of him.

"I never should have given you that amulet." he said dryly, and Tédien grinned, fingering the white ivory pendant and looking at it thoughtfully. It was an amulet of the Divines, capable of teleporting the wearer to the closest holy realm, usually temples or shrines. She also a had an Almsivi amulet, which took her to the nearest legion fort or base.

"It's saved my sorry ass more times than I can count, trust me. I'm very grateful for this." she smiled, clapping her friend on the back. "Did you hear from Habasi?"

Draven nodded, "I spoke to him and Tuscarmel in Sadrith Mora, both said the nearest guild is in a place called Riften, and that's where we could someone who can interperate that map you've got."

"Riften?" Tédien asked, raising an eyebrow. Brown eyes were questioning, and Draven went on to explain that the province of Skyrim had nine holds, like Vvardenfell's five, and the Rift was one of them. It was a seedy little town full of crime, and it was bound to have at least one person who could read Daedric maps. Most guilds did nowadays, since all good loot worth having had been stashed in ruins across the world since the Oblivion crisis.

Tédien thought about the slip of paper she had in her knapsack. It was enchanted, and covered in runes that even she couldn't translate, and she knew all languages there was to know. Dunmeri, Aldmeri, Fal, and even some regional dialects she'd learned while traveling. Because you never knew when you'd have to translate something or someone.

But the map resisted her best efforts, and she didn't want to ask a Telvanni wizard for help. She wanted nothing to do with Dunmer wizards in general, or even Dunmer. Draven understood; his race had changed a lot since Morrowind had been destroyed, and ever since Mournhold, the City of Light and Magic, fell during a small war that erupted between the Altmer and themselves, they had grown exceedingly cold to anyone not of Dark Elf blood. Luckily for Tédien, she was a clanfriend, and the ritualistic tattoo that wound its way from her wrist to her shoulder, spoke of her heroism for their race. When Draven had first met the woman some three years ago, he'd been in Hammerfell as a bodyguard for the prestigious Ienith family, descendants of the Dunmer queen Barenziah, and the young boy, barely in his tenth year of life, he was helping escort had been attacked in the street by a would-be assassin, but, by a mad stroke of luck, Tédien had, quite literally, fallen into his life and saved them all.

_The child was inquisitive, asking questions about the royal families of the different races, and the Empire in general The kid was 1/8th Dunmer, his great-great-great-grandfather having been half Dunmer, half Breton, the son of Barenziah herself, King Helseth; and you could tell when you looked into his eyes. As red as the brightest ruby, though his skin was a soft sandy color from all his playing in the sun, and his hair was a light brown like his mother's had been, but the Dark Elf blood still ran in his veins, and the Dunmer cared for the boy who carried the legacy of the dearest monarch they'd ever had. _

_Draven had been so busy explaining about the royals of Hammerfell (they were journeying to make an alliance) when a man had slammed into the group of wizards guarding the boy. First move was to get the kid to safety, and the child knew it, because he was scrambling away while Draven ordered his men to end the would-be killer. _

_Tédien apparently had been celebrating her twenty-second year of birth because she had been dancing on the stone catwalks that connected the buildings to one another by rooftop, and she'd dropped her ale bottle. Making a wild grab for the object had caused her to fall, and, as luck would have it, she landed on the assassin, causing him to impale himself on his own blade. Not enough to kill, but enough to make him flee, but also caused his friend who had been hiding incognito to jump out at them. _

_Tédien had broken three ribs and her wrist for that fall, but Draven would never forget what he saw. _

_The moment the boy started to cry for help, Tédien was on it, ducking as a blast of magic came her way, and hit the Redguard man dead on, but it barely faed him because he swung a nasty looking hammer at one of the Dunmer bodyguards so hard his skull shattered and Draven saw the passerby fleeing for their lives. _

_"Give me the kid and no one else gets hurt!" the assassin screamed. _

_Tédien, despite having a tell-tale flush to her cheeks from drinking, drew her own weapon, a savage Daedric dagger that shimmered slightly in the noonday sun and electricity crackled around the black metal, but the man didn't seem frightened. _

_"Get the kid outta here, I got this!" Tédien had yelled as the hammer came her way. Draven, a proud wizard himself, did not to besmirch his honor by not taking down an enemy aimed at his ward, and so ordered his two surviving men to take the child to the castle and alert the guards of their predicament. _

_So, two-to-one it was. _

_The hammer swung wildly and Tédien ducked as Draven summoned a wicked looking monster with bones sticking out of its head and arms, and as Tédien gave a disgusted groan and moved away, the beast charged at their attacker. _

_Which was destroyed in two hits. _

_"Fucking Camonna Tong-!" Draven cursed, putting up a third barrier spell around his body, and watching as Tédien, who was grimacing in pain from her abused ribs, ran at the Redguard. And what she did next would have been comical under a different circumstance, but-_

_She fell flat on her ass, slamming back onto the cobblestone streets of the city. And the Redguard took the bait, arms held high as he prepared to crush her head with that heavy weapon of his. But oh, Tédien knew what she was doing alright, and she lunged up, dagger going hilt-deep into the man's groin. _

_The howl of agony made Draven almost feel a twinge of pity for the other man. Almost. _

_Lightening flickered along the weapon and shot into the assassin's body, creating nasty looking burns and blisters to erupt on his skin, and the horrid scent of burned hair and flesh filled the air. Which naturally made Tédien lose her last meal. Bread, apples, annnnnnnnnd yep, there was the ale, scorching its way up her throat and stinging like acid as her stomach evac'ed everything it had. _

_After all was said and done, the dead man disposed of, Tédien healed, the boy safe and order restored to the city, Draven had taken the woman aside to thank her. She hadn't just saved the young prince (her look of shock had been hilarious; she had _no_ idea that the kid was royalty), but him as well. And considering he was Master level wizard, it was a damn impressive feat. _

_She'd shook off the compliments, having explained it was a total acciendet and she knew that hitting the man where it hurt most was the best idea while he swung the giant hammer like "a drunken Forest Troll with a bad sense of direction". _

_He'd thanked her by giving her two amulets to help aid her during times of trouble, and giving her the gift of clanfriend, which would allow her to go virtually anywhere normal people couldn't, if Dunmer or the Telvanni were involved. She was an honorary Telvanni, despite her pale skin. _

_"You may be a pale skinned half-blood, girl," he said with a smirk. "But you fight with the fire of a Dunmer." _

"So," Tédien's voice broke his from his memories, and Draven looked at her as she stared out towards the ocean, where their ship had just docked. "Skyrim, huh?"

Draven gave a silent nod, and Tédien's face broke out into a grin that he almost returned.

"Let's go an adventure!" she cried, charging off towards the docks, the baby scamp giving an equally loud victory screech, its tiny arms waving madly.


	4. Chapter 4

Tédien watched as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky; but clouds were rolling in again, and the air smelled like rain. It was still muggy, but as the waves lapped against the ship, she smiled. She would come back to Morrowind for sure, because she loved the place, even if some of it_ was_ covered in ash and lava flows. She had never been to Skyrim, but the twins had, and as they talked about snow, and ice, and giants, she started getting excited. Morrowind was full of grassy planes, and sandy beaches, although most of the Southern region was full of debris from Red Mountain. She had never seen snow before, even when she lived in Cyrodiil as a young child. She had no idea what it was like, and she was eager to go, even if it was for a job.

Tédien was part of the Fighter's Guild, a group of soldiers whose alliance fell with neither the empire, nor any ruler of any kind; they fought for the people themselves, regardless of who it was. If someone needed help, they were there, and that was why she was trying so hard to get to Hammerfell, because she was trying to help complete a woman's dying wish to the man she'd loved in her youth. At least, that was her story. But Tédien had agreed, and accepted the assignment from her superior. She had to travel all over Morrowind to retrieve different parts of the package: the enchanted box, the mesh bag that held the item in question, and the letters from the woman to her ex-lover, which she was currently looking for. Two pages were in a Daedric ruin outside of Skyrim, on the border of High Rock, and the other six were in a Dwemer ruin in Skyrim itself.

_I really hope we find someone who can translate these damn maps._ she scowled, thinking about the Daedric and Dwarven papers she had in her satchel. _But who says I can't mix business with pleasure?_

The ship passed the small islands that dotted the coast, and Tédien watched the Ashlander tribes traveling from one camp to another, and in one instance, get attacked by a group of Argonians. Ever since they'd taken over Morrowind, more and more natives fled the province. Black Light was the new capital after Mournhold fell, and Tédien sorely missed hearing the stories her grandfather had told her when she was young, of how Mournhold had been the greatest place in the world, the most beautiful place, with navy and pine buildings, a sprawling castle, dark dungeons with treasure, and some of the nicest people you'd ever meet.

_I miss being a kid_, she moped, putting her chin in her hand.

Abruptly, her scamp perked up, growling playfully as Soren and Draven walked by, swiping its tiny claws at their clothes and catching on the Breton, squealing as it was suddenly pulled from Tédien. Soren was alarmed by the sound, whipping around so fast that the baby scamp lost its grip and fell, slamming hard onto the floor.

Tédien gasped, standing and moving to pick up the tiny creature, which was making small crying noises. It rubbed its snout on Tédien's shoulder with a whine. Soren apologized to the thing, but the scamp was having none of it, swiping its tiny claw angrily at the man, and Tédien chuckled as it burrowed against her head, sitting at the juncture of her neck and shoulder and holding onto her hair.

"Damn, I'm sorry, Tédien," Soren said. Tédien shrugged, he didn't know the scamp had grabbed him.

"It's been hit by worse," she said.

"It's a male," Draven said, and Tédien cocked her head to one side, like _how-the-hell-can-you-even-tell_? "The ears are sharper, and it's tail is longer. Female scamps have rounded ears and smaller tails."

"Well now I know what gender to call you by," Tédien studied the scamp, who was still snarling at Soren. "But you need a name…"

"Midget." Soren supplied.

Draven threw out "N'wah", and other Dunmeri insults, but he was smirking.

Tédien continued to look at the small Daedra, who in turn began to stare back. She ran through names in her head, when suddenly, a memory, was it a memory? came to her: words from her mother. No. It wasn't her mother, but there was something…familiar…and words she could barely hear, but knew, though she didn't understand why.

"Malkiir." she said suddenly, and both of her companions turned to her, eyebrows raised.

"How'd you come to that conclusion?" Draven asked at the same time Saedryk questioned. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Little boy," Tédien's voice had dropped an octave or two, and her tone was low, husky, almost seductive in how she spoke. "He's a runt, and a boy, and I'm willing a bet my entire coin purse that he doesn't reach the full height of a scamp."

Soren gave a lopsided grin, "What if he grew to be the size of a Hunger or an Orgrim? Super small at first, then turns into a giant as it grows."

"Like you, ya freak?" Tédien teased, eyeing the twins. Soren was shorter than his brother, reaching nearly five feet and ten inches inches, while his twin Saedryk, who had been much smaller as a baby, was nearly six-and-a-half feet tall. Draven was almost six feet himself, while Tédien brought up the rear at five-foot-six.

The ship lurched suddenly, and Tédien stumbled, more so because the scamp decided to ground his weight into her neck and push her forward. Soren groaned and closed his eyes while his brother backed away in case he got sick.

"Gods, how much longer?" Soren whined pitifully. The sky was still bright, the sun still hot, and they had another full day or two before they reached Black Marsh.

…

_The colors were so beautiful…all shimmering blue, silver and crystalline green. And the voices…soothing, but strong. _

Tédien knew these voices. She had all her life. In her dreams, she'd hear the whispers, feel the subtle pulse of energy like she'd been immersed in a warm bath. But they were gone as soon as she woke up and she couldn't remember what was said.

But this time…it was different. The words were louder, dancing through her frontal lobe like a Khajit on moon sugar.

Tédien opened her eyes, and all she saw was swirling white, blue and another color she couldn't identify. But the voices suddenly became deafening, and she covered her ears. The light twisted around her like ribbons, sparkling tendrils of energy that ran into her veins and lit her up from the inside. Her body was vibrating, on fire, her very pores stinging as the words rose to a crescendo-

She didn't hear Draven call her name in alarm as she fell into the light, a silent scream leaving her mouth.


End file.
